This is a compilation of handy resources for new local trail runners. It's constantly being updated as I learn more myself.

Who is zoot?

I'm Kim aka Zoot - a derivative of a childhood nickname. This is my web site where I've been blabbering non-stop since 2004. I like to talk about running, parenting, bullet journals, food, and geeky treasures I find on the internet!

Feel free to browse around, leave comments, or just run away screaming. It won't be the first time.

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Month: June 2014

When you’re scared of something, you always feel better once it’s over. I remember sleeping HORRIBLY for weeks before my first triathlon. The night it was over? I slept like a baby. Same with the time I rappelled down a building for charity. Fear of doing something ends as soon as that something is over. Bam. Done. No more stress.

Social Anxieties, however, are a different beast.

I’ve said before that the first time I ever had a gathering at my house, it was 5 years ago and it was a Harry Potter party, I worried about every speck of dust and strand of pet hair for DAYS before. I’m happy to say that forcing myself out of my shell and hosting many things since has TRULY helped me get over a lot of my Before Event social anxieties. I hosted a book club again last night and I didn’t stress out hardly at all in the days leading up to it.

I’ve come a long way, baby.

But Social Anxieties have a Second Wave of stress that comes after the event. The wave where you replay everything you said and did at the event and want to punch yourself in the face over all of your failures. This wave is stronger if I host an event, but it happens even if I just go to an event. I remember the night after a Christmas party last year, I woke up in the middle of the night stressing out about a self-deprecating joke I had made. I don’t think those people got the joke. They don’t know me that well. Did they know I was making fun of myself? That I wasn’t serious? Should I Facebook message them to be sure?

(I did NOT Facebook message them. BUT I HAVE BEFORE.)

The Second Wave of Social Anxieties is actually what makes us so anxious socially to begin with. It’s the embarrassment over dumb things said or done. Or the shame over mistakes you made. It’s the replaying of those over…and over…AND OVER again that make it so hard to put yourself out there time and time again. All you keep thinking as you consider a social gathering is, “Yes…but how many times will I do something that I will later lose sleep over?”

And yes…you can tell us that no one remembers or cares. And on some levels we know that is true. But the anxiety is not a conscious choice on our parts. We can’t say, “Hmm…she probably doesn’t even remember that I called her the wrong name!” and then stop stressing. Even if part of us believes that, the rest of use with the social anxieties does NOT believe it.

Well…I’ve been up since 2:30am stressing about book club last night. Stupid stuff that logically I know bothered NO ONE, but still! I woke up stressing. My dining room chairs are gorgeous, but not comfortable and I was worried about the people who had to sit in those for too long. Did my kids eat too much of the food sitting out? I bogarted way too much of the conversation. Did I laugh too loud?

Logically, I know that none of those things will keep people from ever coming to book club again.

(OR WILL THEY? ACK. What if people don’t come back because I laugh too loud?)

Anyway…I’m pretty sure that my worries are unfounded. But still…here they are…waking me up at 2:30am so that I can start my day worrying about the night before. Like sane people do.

It was a great night. I have a great group of friends. We joked that the book club grew out of several discussions with people about our own social anxieties or awkwardness so now we’re unofficially the Socially Awkward Book Club. You know, so that everyone feels welcome! Obviously these people get me, so I shouldn’t be worried.

But – it wouldn’t be a thing I talked about if it followed any sort of logic, now would it? Donnie’s sleeping like a baby. It was his house too. We both hosted. (We had three boys in our book club last night! Woo for co-ed book clubs!) But does he torture himself about whether or not people were comfortable? No. He sleeps because it’s over and he enjoyed himself. Bam. End of story. And when he finds out later that I woke up at 2:30am stressing about whether or not I laugh too loud? He’ll shake his head and be grateful that I – at least – don’t let these anxieties hold me back anymore.

Because – in the end – it’s still totally worth it. Rappelling down the building? NOT WORTH IT. Forcing myself to move past my social anxieties to fill my house with people talking about books? WORTH IT IN EVERY WAY.